7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

1/9

Sacred Elements of Naturein the Faith of the Altai Turks

Figen Gner Dilek

Earth, mother earth, is n ot evil. It is peo ple tha t are evil,

that are evil, and that are us. Even i f the earth is infer-

tile and desert, it is our mother earth, even if no people live there; there are other living things and their youths.To blame the earth will offend Altay Kudai. The more

you pro tect nature, the more it will pay back. For thisreason, when an Altai man goes hunting in the moun-

tains, he does no t do more than needed even if he couldhunt more.

Ayabas Kndin, Cabagan village,Gomo-Altaysk, September 1995

Owing to the richness of the topic it would go beyond the scope of this paper tomention all the natural elements regarded as holy by Altai Turks. For this rea-son, the discussion will be limited to those most frequently encountered in thedaily life of the Altai Turks, based on compilations of notes I took between 1995and 1998.

The spiritual world of the Altai Turks is guided by Buddhism, Lamaism, and

belief systems called Altai Can, which can be traced back to Shamanism andAltai mythology. During my field studies, I personally witnessed that the beliefs,traditions, customs, and holy elements recorded in the epics of the Altai Turksstill prevail in their daily lives. In other words, it would not be an exaggerationto speak of a fusion of mythological times and the present. The sacredness ofnumerous natural elements is the essence of the beliefs mentioned. In fact, it issaid that already the ancient Turks regarded water and forests as holy.1The be-liefs of the Altai Turks are based on a deep respect for, or even fear of the ele-ment regarded as holy as well as on loyalty and the wish to protect it. The Altairegard nature as an entity, encompassing the mountains, water, grasslands, trees,

rivers, and animals. Almost all their beliefs are guided by the desire to keep thisunity intact. Nature is possessed, including the rivers and mountains, and thosewho worship them, ask them for help and express their gratitude towards themare deemed to lead a good life.2

1 Roux, Jean-Paul: Orta A syada Kutsal Bitkiler ve Hayvanlar. stanbul 2005, p. 33.2 Bidinov, K. A.:Al tayn Baylagan mcahdar. Gomo-Altaysk 1996, p. 21.

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

2/9

76 Figen Gner Dilek

It is said that the Altai people have believed in the sacredness of natural ele-ments since ancient times, attributing great value to them. In the language of theAltai Turks the terms employed to refer to sacred elements are bay, lyik, kutuk(water), which mean holy or forbidden. Altai Turks are thought to worship

the natural elements, because they regard them as holy, but this is not true. It isalso stated that the Altai people were created by Kurbustan Ulker God, i.e., thatall the people in the world have one unique God.

According to Altay Can, AltayKudai and ErlikBiy created the Altai moun-tains, including nature and all living beings. Everything is based on the contrastof white and black, good and evil, with all the contrasts being related to one an-other. AltayKudai created lands and plains, whereas ErlikBiy created moun-tains, moors, and swamps. AltayKudai created warmbreath animals (i.e.,horses, sheep, etc.), and birds.3 AltayKudai created plants to be eaten by living

beings and trees like the pine, the beech, and the hybrid tree; the eternal breath

of AltayKudai pervades in the pine, the beech, and the juniper tree.4 On theother hand, ErlikBiy created coldbreath animals (i.e., cows, goats) and birds,animals nesting underground, bushes, poisonous plants, firs, spruces, and poplartrees.5 According to Mariya Ayanova, whom I met during my field studies, nohouse is built of poplar (aspak), for it is the tree that accommodates the deviland was created by Erlik; a house made from it would make its inhabitantsrestless and unhappy.

Holy waters

The Altai people consider water to be holy and use various terms for it: aru-kutuk, arjan suu, kara suu, tonmok suu, tindu suu, tim cok suu. The sacralizationof an element entails a set of taboos and restrictions. Water is to be fetched inthe evening, it is not to be polluted with waste, and the owner of the water isconsidered as potentially harmful. These rules apply to fountain water and riv-ers. A snake in a river is not to be killed, for it is believed to be the owner of thewater in disguise, and hence it is the snake that brings the water. It is essentialthat both arjan and tonmok water are kept clean. Blossoming flowers near aspring are not to be picked, trees are not to be cut, and the environs o f the spring

3 . A. , . .: . Novosibirsk 1996, pp. 6-7 .

4 Op.cit., p. 8.5 Op.cit., pp. 6-7.

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

3/9

Sacred Elements of Nature in the Faith of the Altai Turks 77

are to be kept clean and free of evil objects.6 In Altai epics rivers and water ofthis kind have the power to heal the wounds and resurrect the dead.7

Kutuk Tindu suu: It is said that those who see holy water and bathe in it ordrink it will not find the water in its place when they mention it or return to it,

because it will have disappeared. It is emphasized that kutuk suu has a milkycolour, and while drinking it one should make a wish. Failing to do so will leadto an endless life full of suffering.8

There are also Altai Turk practices related to arjan suu and arjan. Arjan-suuis believed to be healthgiving. Altai people regard this water as holy and eu-

phemistically refer to it as talay, in the belief that it will help them to get rid ofdiseases and illnesses in a kind of purification ritual. It is essential to visit arjanat the beginning of spring or fall when nature is adorned with green or yellowleaves. A person going to arjan should be clean in every respect, and if someonefrom the hom e village or a close relative has died, the visit is to be postponed for

a year. Visitors are to take talkan and bishtak(dried butter and tea) along withthem. All food is to be prepared in advance, but not tasted. In addition they areto bring pieces of cloth with them (4 to 8 cm wide and not shorter than a handspan), called kiyra/calama, and the branches of a beech tree need to be prepar-ed.9Ar jan suu is generally located in remote places. Although it is possible to gothere on foot, it is more common to travel on horseback, and the journey cantake seven to nine days.10

Animals

According to the beliefs of the Altai people, all animals were once human beings

and some of them are regarded as totems by certain tribes and therefore as holy.For example, for the Komdosh it is the bear, for the Tolos the deer, for the Jiisthe snake, and for theMungus the bull/cow.11

Altai Turks believe that in nature both animals and human beings have cer-tain rights. As in the past, they live on hunting. While hunting, they refrain fromusing animal names, resorting to euphemisms instead. The underlying rationale

6 Yamayeva, E. E. . B. incin:Al tay KepKuundar. Gorno-Altaysk 1994, pp. 314315.

7 Dilek, Ibrahim:Altay Masal lar . Unpublished PhD dissertation, Gazi niversitesi, Ankara2002, p. 355.

8 , . A. , . .: , pp. 42-43.

9 Op.cit., pp. 4243; Bidinov, . A.: Altayn Baylagan mcandar, pp. 13-14.10 Gner Diek , Figen:Altay Trkesi Azlar. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Gazi niver

sitesi, Ankara 2005, TL 2, 35-36.11 , H. A .: . Gorno-

Altaysk 1990, . 89.

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

4/9

78 Figen Gner Dilek

is not to anger the animal by letting it feel ones intention in order to avoid beinghaunted by it after its death.

In the Altai language, there is a variety of euphemisms for most animals, asfor the bear, whose name is regarded as taboo.12

The bear: According to Altai belief its thumb and part of its brain were takenaway by AltayKudai and given to the human being in order to prevent the bearfrom ruling the earth and being superior to mankind. With this in mind, the Altai

people regard the bear as a holy animal. Out of respect and in order not to scare,anger, or surprise a bear, they employ euphemisms whenever referring to it,such as abaay or caan karnda (elder brother), taay (uncle), taay bgn orbn (uncle), taagak (grandfather), karnda (brother), aba (elder relati-ve), arsil aba (wild elder relative), ulda (grandfather, father of the father),akabis (our elder brother), rkn (senior woman or man), abka/ ap-

yak/apyak/apak (grandfather), ulu kiji (elder person) as well as mogis/

mogus/mongus/mongis/moos ( pow erful7gian t7parasite/ skilful), Kayrakan (sky), Altaydin eezi (the owner of Altai), cerdin eezi (owner of the earth),amaalday/amalday (huge 7big 7powerful), and they never kill one.13 If some-one does have to kill a bear, he will ask the animal to say that it has died by fal-ling off a rock, since it is believed that the respective person will be strictlyquestioned by Erlik in the other world.14

The dog: AltayKudai and Erlik created mankind in a joint effort with theintention of making it eternal, and therefore wanted human beings to stay awayfrom evil in their search for eternity. The dog was created by AltayKudai.ErlikBiy asked the dog to give life to human beings and promised to give life-

long food and neverworn pants. The dog carried out the will of ErlikBiy andgave its breath to humans. Erlik gave his breath to humans through his abdomenand prayed that the dog would live with human beings and take food from theirhands. After AltayKudai brought eternal breath, he saw human beings alive and

became angry. He cursed the dog saying that it would always walk around thedoor of human beings, being fed and loved by them .15

Holy mountains and moorlands

Altai people consider some mountains, high mountain crossings (aju), moor-lands (lyk cer, lyik taiga), and mountains with forests as holy places. Altai vil-

lage people generally have a holy mountain and a moorland for their religiousrituals. As I have witnessed myself, Altai Turks introduce themselves with both

12 Op.cit., . 13.13 Op.cit., pp. 102-103.14 , . A. , . .:

, . 7-8.15 Ibid.

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

5/9

Sacred Elements of Nature in the Faith of the Altai Turks 79

their name and family name, and nearly all the middleaged and elderly peopleknow in which village their relatives live and in which moorland they pray.

The reason why moorlands are regarded as holy is that in ancient times,when there were floods, people believed that they could cross them on rafts.

Religious rituals were carried out at the very top of these moorlands and in themountains. A construction called tikpek was made from wood, and the insidewas carved and paved with stones. Women were not supposed to walk on thestone. Regarding the religious practices in the holy mountains, Nina Toloyevanarrates:

The mountain in which we pray is the mountain Ak Duru, the biggestaround here. It is also called the mountain with a holy forest. It is the mountainwhich is always respected by the Altai people. There is always snow on top ofit for this reason it is calledAk Duru (White Pure) and there is also a thicklayer of ice. Famous climbers go up there, not people of our folk. It is not suit-

able for us to climb there. Our women do not climb there, either .16

Holy forests

Pine, beech, hybrid, fir, and spruce trees play an important part in the daily livesand beliefs of Altai Turks. Among these, the beech tree is the one used most inreligious rituals and practices. The branches of a beech tree, and especially itsleaves, are burnt to get rid of the evil spirits in a house. Therefore, beech can beconsidered as a link between human beings and God. Certain types of clothnamed kiyira orcalama are tied to this tree.

Although the spruce tree is one of the trees created by Erlik and regarded asevil, it is referred to as bay terek(holy spruce tree) in oral literature, particu-larly in epics. The epic hero rests and sleeps under this tree. Dreams relevant tothe plot of an epic usually occur while the hero is sleeping under this tree, andimportant events take place nearby.

In summary, when people live in a natural surrounding with trees stretchingup into the skies, creating the impression that the stars are within reach, andwhere every area of life, ranging from nutrition to shelter, depends on nature, thelatter is bound to be considered as holy.

16 See: Gner Dilek, Figen:Alta y Trkesi Azlar. TL 9, 30-3 8.

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

6/9

80 Figen Gner Dilek

References

Bidinov, K. A.:Altayn Baylagan m-candar. GomoAltaysk 1996.Dilek, brahim: Altay Masallar. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Gazi niver-

sitesi, Ankara 2002.

Gner Dilek, Figen: Altay Trkesi Azlar. Unpublished PhD dissertation,Gazi niversitesi, Ankara 2005.

Roux, JeanPaul: Orta Asy ada Kutsal Bitkiler ve Hayvanlar. stanbul 2005.Yamayeva, E. E. . B. incin: Altay Kep-Kuundar. GomoAltaysk 1994., . . , . .:

. Novosibirsk 1996., . .: .

GomoAltaysk 1990.

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

7/9

STUDIEN ZUR SPRACHE, GESCHICHTE UND KULTUR DERTRKVLKER

BAND12

BarbaraKellner-Heinkele/ElenaV.Boykova/BrigitteHeuer(eds.)

Man and Nature in the Altaic World

Proceedingsofthe

49thPermanentInternationalAltaisticConference,Berlin,July30- August4,2006

KLAUS SCHWARZ VERLAG BERLIN

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

8/9

Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Bibliothek

Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation

in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte biblio-

grafische Daten sind im Internet unterhttp://dnb.ddb.de

abrufbar.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication dataA catalogue record for this book is available

from the British Library.

http://www.bl.uk

Library of Congress control number availablehttp://www.loc.gov

2012 by Klaus Schwarz Verlag GmbH

www.klaus-schwarz-verlag.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised

in any form or by any electronic , mechanical, or other means,now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and

recording , or in any information storage or retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the publishers.

First edition

Producer: J2P Berlin

Printed in Hungary on chlorine free bleached paper

ISBN 9783879974085

http://dnb.ddb.de/http://www.bl.uk/http://www.loc.gov/http://www.klaus-schwarz-verlag.com/http://www.klaus-schwarz-verlag.com/http://www.loc.gov/http://www.bl.uk/http://dnb.ddb.de/

7/27/2019 DILEK GUNER Figen - The Sacred Nature Elements in the Faith of Altai Turks

9/9

VI Contents

Oliver Co rff (Berlin)

The Known World and Beyond: Concepts of the Animal Kingdomas Presented in the Pentaglo t.......................................................................... 67

Figen Gner D ilek (Ankara)Sacred Elements of Nature in the Faith of the Altai Tu rk s ........................ 75

Ding Shiqing (Beijing)

The View of the Environment as Seenthrough the Altaic Languages in Ch ina ........................................................ 81

Mihaly Dobrovits (Budapest)

The Sacred tkan Forest. Natural, Commercial, and SacralFeatures of a Holy P lace .................................................................................. 91

. . (Moscow)

- ( )..................................................................................... 99

Roger Finch (Tokyo/Cape Neddick)

Folk Taxonomy of Japanese B irds................................................................. 116

Albina H. Girfanova and Nikolay L. Sukhachev (St. Petersburg)

V. K. Arsenevs Studies of roch and U dege............................................ 140

smail Gle (Istanbul)

Cataloguing the Manuscripts in the Libraryof the Trkiyat Aratrmalar Enstits (Istanbul).......................................

Louis M. Hargan (Cape Neddick)

The Use of Rhubarb among the Mongols..................................................... 152

Ayenur Klahlolu slam (Ankara)

Tradition, Man, and Nature at the Inceptionof the Modem Turkish Sto ry.............................................................. ............ 173

Maria Ivanics (Szeged)

Der Sippenbaum im Buch der Dschingis-Legende...................................... 179